


What's nessesary for survival?

by ObsidianLace



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: M/M, Zombie AU, prepare for angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-30 02:14:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1012839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianLace/pseuds/ObsidianLace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes surviving means hard choices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's nessesary for survival?

Jamie pushed open the slightly rusty metal door leading to the roof and stepped outside. The weather had made a turn during the night; a cold front chasing the last warmth of fall away and leaving a crisp wind to ruffle his brown hair playfully. Taking a deep breath, the teen eyed the sky critically with a frown, but his expression cleared quickly when he was met with nothing but clear blue for as far as he could see around him. It was a perfect day if you didn't count the mass of zombies waiting three floors down. Jamie gazed carefully down at them from his perch on the roof of the Barnes and Noble bookstore he and the small rag tag group of survivors had holed up in and tried not to let the sight of them freak him out too much. Today was the day. They were getting out of here, he had to believe that.

As soon as Jamie made it back to the first floor, Sandy waved a hello at him with a smile. Jamie tried his best to give the short man a genuine smile back but he wasn't entirely sure it worked. 

"Ah! Jamie, how does it look for today?" North asked as he noticed the teen walking across the book strewn floor.

"It's clear. No sign of rain or anything. Cold front came through though," Jamie told the large man.

"Excellent. Then we can pack rest of things and go, yes?" North looked around at his companions with a hopeful gleam in his eye.

"We can leave?" a small voice piped up from on top of the dark green van parked in the middle of the floor. A blonde head poked into view and the girl's eyes shone with as much hope as North's.

"Yeah, Soph, we should be able to make it out today if what you're brother says is right. Won't that be good?" Toothiana beamed at the little girl. She finished putting the rest of her supplies in the duffel bag at her feet and stood. 

"Are we gonna crash through the wall like Mr. Aster did?" Sophie asked with an excited little wiggle of her small frame.

That made the little group laugh even as North explained that they would be taking a more controlled exit of the large store that had sheltered them for the past two weeks. Just as Toothiana was going to suggest they begin loading the van, she was cut off by the sound of shouting from above on the second floor.

"We can't take 'em, Pitch! You know we can't."

"I'm not leaving him here, Aster."

"Oh come on, mate!"

"I said no."

The group could hear Aster's disgusted scoff all the way across the expanse of the store. It was quickly followed by the man himself vaulting over the railing to land on the first floor with a thud.

"North, see if you can talk some sense inta 'em, yeah? He's gonna get us all killed if he...."

"Yes, yes," North started, lifting his hands up in a placating gesture to try and calm the irate Australian down. "I see what I can do, yes? You all start loading van. I be back."

North closed the hood of the van and walked over to the broken escalator, leaving the others to listen to the grumbling Aster. As he climbed up, he could hear the soft sounds of talking and muffled grunts and groans that answered the smooth voice. The large Russian paused just outside the bookcase barrier that made up Pitch's space and took a steadying breath before pushing aside the gray blanket turned door and stepping inside. Pitch's back was turned to him, hiding the young man he was speaking to.

"Pitch?"

The man's back stiffened and his head bowed forward just enough for North to see over him and directly into Jack's clouded, blue eyes. North flinched and looked off to the left.

"We must go," he told Pitch softly. "There is no food left. No supplies. The children are hungry, Pitch. We all are." He waited for Pitch to say something but the only response he got was Jack cracking his jaws around the gag in his mouth and snarling, beastlike, as he jerked against the thick ropes holding him. The bolted down cabinets he was attached to shuddered under his thrashing. North took a half step back.

"Please. I know is hard but..."

"Hard?" Pitch snarled and the sound was eerily echoed by the bound young man in front of him. Pitch stood and turned to face North in one fluid motion with an expression that shifted between rage and grief. "You have no idea," he spat. "No idea...." Pitch's face spasmed and he had to shut his eyes before he could continue. "I will not leave him behind."

"We cannot take him in van. We cannot release him from bindings. Pitch, he is dangerous!" North pleaded.

"It's my fault!" Pitch screamed at him. His normally smooth, cultured voice cracking with long built up stress and grief. "If I'd just fixed the door. It wouldn't have stuck and locked him in there. If I'd just fixed the fucking door! Those monsters wouldn't have....he...he could have out run them. He's so fast, North. If that door had open, there's no way those fucking beasts would have caught him and...." He glanced behind him helplessly, his shoulders dropping along with his sudden rage. "It's my fault," he whispered, still gazing helplessly at Jack.

North's heart hurt for Pitch, however, it didn't change the fact that if they didn't move and move now, they'd all end up just like the poor young man currently trying to take a chunk out of them. 

"Please, Pitch," North pleaded again. "I am sorry. Look at him. Would he want this? To live like this?" He walked closer slowly until he could place a large hand on Pitch's bent shoulder. He could feel minute trembles under his palm and it made him soften his voice even further. 

"Go down to the van. Let me do this thing." He gave the shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I make it quick, Pitch. Please?"

It seemed that Pitch stopped breathing as they both looked at Jack twisting desperately in his bonds to get to the fresh meat that was so tantalizingly close. One of the pale young man's bones popped obscenely and the sound of it shook Pitch to his core. He released a ragged breath and shrugged off North's hand. He turned to fully face his lover and kneeled down in front of him.

"No, I'll do it. Just...wait downstairs. I need to...to..." Pitch trailed off.

North nodded even though he knew Pitch couldn't see. He opened his mouth to say something but snapped it back close when he couldn't think of a single thing to say in light of the situation. Instead, he simply turned and walked away as Pitch reached out to take the 9mm that had been leaning against his rolled up sleeping bag.

With heavy steps he made his way down to the rest of the group waiting with anxious expressions. Sandy was the first to ask for the result with a single raised eyebrow and North gave him a grim look but nodded his head. Toothiana felt the first sting of tears prick her eyes as Aster let out a relieved gust of a sigh.

A single sharp gunshot bounced aggressively through the store, making everyone startle and Sophie to cry out in fear. Jamie was quick to wrap an arm around her and hide her now tear stained face into his shoulder. 

The second sharp gunshot made them glance up in confusion. Aster and North exchanged puzzled looks that rapidly changed into horror. Sandy got it a half second before they did and beat them to the escalator to make his way up to the sound's origin. They hit the landing running and Aster outpaced the others so that it was he that ripped the blanket out of the way and skidded to a halt before he could step in the growing pool of blood creeping outward from the crumpled forms before him.

"Bloody hell," Aster gasped out. "Why?," he whispered, horrified.

Sandy stepped around him to look at Pitch and Jack's bodies with a resigned sort of grief. He shook his head and looked up at North.

"It was his choice," North said. He ran a hand over his face and scrubbed at his white beard in agitation. "At least now they are together, yes?"

Silence was the only answer he received.

**Author's Note:**

> Am I banned from the fandom yet?


End file.
